Happy Anniversary: Chic, Risqué

35 years ago today, Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, and Tony Thompson, along with singers Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin, released an album which kicked off with one of the greatest grooves of Chic’s career while promising – and absolutely delivering – “Good Times.”

1979 was a busy year for Edwards and Rogers – that’s also when they wrote and produced Sister Sledge’s We Are Family album – but when you’re capable of writing songs as strong as those that seemed to pop out of their pens every time they turned around, why not keep busy? Risqué was Chic’s third album, and while it only provided them with one top-40 hit (“My Forbidden Lover” just missed the cut at #43, but “My Feet Keep Dancing” wasn’t even close, stalling out at #101), it’s hard to complain too vociferously when that one hit tops the pop charts, the R&B charts, and the dance charts, not to mention the fact that a sample from the song resulted in the greatest success the Sugarhill Gang ever had (“Rapper’s Delight”).

It’s tough for any album to live up to an opening track as anthemic as “Good Times,” but Risqué manages to succeed, taking it down a notch with “A Warm Summer’s Night” before bouncing back onto the dance floor with the aforementioned singles “My Feet Keep Dancing” and “My Forbidden Lover.” From there, you get the bluesy “Can’t Stand to Love You,” the melodrama of “Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song),” and to wrap things up, the band brings back the bass to ask “What About Me?”

Give Risqué another spin, won’t you? You already know you love the first song, but you’ll find it’s full of strong songs from start to finish.